Tag Archives: Death

Between the Abstract and the Real

Death, architecture and the public imagination

How do we come to terms with something as abstract as death? Our own heavy, very real flesh will one day be in another indistinct form. The sacred bodies of our loved ones are subject to the same fate. What … Continue reading

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“Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from “The Phantom of the Opera”

The young heroine grieves the loss of her father in an unforgettable memorial song

Christine Daaé, once an obscure ballerina, is given a lead singing role in “Don Juan”, an opera written by the Phantom of the Opera, a disfigured man who is obsessed with the lovely, young woman. This opera is actually a … Continue reading

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The Return of the Shrouding Women

Women are reclaiming jobs as funeral directors – a death-care profession dominated by men for over a century

Once death care was viewed as a woman’s job. The shrouding women washed the body of the deceased, anointed it with herbs, dressed and prepared it for a funeral or a wake. Women helped bring life into this world and … Continue reading

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Exploring the Traditions of Greece

How a funeral rite has outlasted the centuries

One of the most seldom discussed funeral rites in our culture happens to be one of the most ancient. What started in 1100 B.C. Greece is still largely practiced today. In archaic times, Greeks either buried or cremated their loved … Continue reading

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Saving Face

Salvador Dali's portrait of his dead brother incorporates -- guess who? -- himself

Salvador Dali isn’t exactly known for his subtlety. His large ego was only surpassed — and certainly supported — by his wild creativity, which showed us a (very) different way(s) to look at the world. We can look to his paintings … Continue reading

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“Knock Knock…who’s there?”

"Yikes...Death!"
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